Essential Eating in Singapore

There is no denying that Singapore is a food paradise. A perfect food city catering to all tastes. From delicate palates to red hot curry lovers. Singapore has it all. A deliciously diverse mixing pot of Chinese, Indian and Malay food cultures plus a whole lot more. Thriving on perfection every Singaporean is a critic. They know their food and know where to find it. Admittedly most are found at Singapore’s famous hawker centres. It is not uncommon to find fancy cars pulling up to street food hawker stands. To find wealthy standing in line for ridiculously cheap feeds. From early morning through to the early hours. Singapore doesn’t stop eating. This is our beginners guide on what to eat in Singapore. Our top 5 Singapore Food. For Breakfast, lunch, dinner and night.

1. Hainanese Chicken Rice

Starting simple with Hainanese Chicken Rice. The perfect dish to start a Singapore feast. Oily skin, tender meat and the all important gelatine layer in between. Served on rice cooked in chicken broth. Drizzle of dark soy, dip of chilli and you’re onto a winner. Hainanese Chicken is one of Singapore’s most common hawker foods; easily identified by solemn white chickens strung behind glass hawker displays. Hainanese Chicken is the National Dish of Singapore.

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2. Singapore Chilli Crab

Chilli Crab has lost its lustre of late. It’s almost become too cliched to mention. However this doesn’t take from its deliciousness. Singapore Chilli Crab will always be essential eating in Singapore. Stir fried crab in a tomato based sweet, savoury and hot sauce. Scoop out the insides, break into the claws with crab crackers and suck out the bits. While mud crabs are the norm in Singapore can find many impressive crab alternatives lining restaurants of Singapore’s boat quay area. Great for crab watching but extortionate for eating.

3. Fish Head Curry

There are few dishes I’d travel the world for. The Fish Head Curry is one of them. A possible reason behind Singapore Chilli Crab’s downfall and a 100% Singaporean dish. The fish head curry is a mix of Singapore’s Chinese and Indian food cultures first coming to existence when an Indian chef added a fish head to his curry in attempt to please Chinese customers. The man deserves a medal. He has perfected the much loved curry. The fiery hot fish head curry includes head of a red snapper, lots of veg and a soupy, spicy curry sauce. If the full curry is too much for the budget (or stomach) you can find smaller offerings as precooked dishes at Singapore hawker stalls. One of the better areas for Fish Head Curry is Little India (pictured below).

4. Roti Prata

The perfect end to a food filled day. Geylang street corner, Tiger Beer, Mutton Curry and the essential Roti Prata. Things dreams are made of. For those new to ‘Roti’ it maybe better known from its Indian origins. In Singapore it is perfected at hawker stands where these delicious, golden flatbreads are dished out alongside spicy sides of curry. If Roti Prata fails to entice why how about Murtabak a layered roti stuffed with chicken or mutton or Kottu Roti cut and mixed with meat and egg. Eat with your right hand pee with your left.

5. Nasi Lemak

For the morning after. You can’t leave Singapore without tasting its humble Malay beginnings. Nasi Lemak is a staple in the region’s eating. Admittedly not the most exciting of dishes but one not to be missed. Nasi Lemak brings an enticing mix of flavours; coconut rice, crispy anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts and a fiery sambal sauce of ground chillies, lime and toasted shrimp paste. Bring together and bam. While preferred for breakfast Nasi Lemak is found day long in Singapore. Occasionally wrapped tight in banana leaves with grilled meats and tasty extras nearby. A cheap and tasty option for takeaway.